Adobe PageMaker 7.0
by Adobe
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (09 July, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Adobe may have the lock on professional graphics production withPhotoshop, but it has long been engaged in a drawn-out battle with Quark for thehearts and wallets of the desktop publishing crowd. PageMaker 7.0, Adobe'slatest effort in the desktop publishing arena, won't set it ahead of QuarkXPress4.1, but it does have plenty of appeal for small businesses and other audiencesthat have minor publishing needs.

PageMaker 7.0's user guide measures in at more than 400 pages, and itthoughtfully explains every aspect of the vast and complex program. A wide rangeof impressive-looking templates, which cover just about every type of documentimaginable (including business cards, labels, newsletters, ads, posters, andmore), makes PageMaker a little more accessible to users unfamiliar with itsfunctionality. The templates are divided into various levels of complexity, withthe lowest level containing helpful annotations for novice users.

While its improvements over version 6.5 are minimal, PageMaker 7.0 makes a fewworthy strides to justify its sparkly new version number. Among the most welcomeis a surprisingly intuitive data merge feature, which allows users to configuretarget areas in their publications and import respective fields from aspreadsheet or database. Unfortunately, it only recognizes comma-delineated CSVor TXT files; it doesn't import data directly from common file formats createdby Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3.

Ironically, another area of improvement in PageMaker 7.0 is compatibility withother programs. It easily imports and handles layered image files fromIllustrator and Photoshop 5.0 and 6.0, and features input converters for filescreated in QuarkXPress and Microsoft Publisher. PageMaker's PDF exportcapabilities have been enhanced both in the main program and with the includedAcrobat Distiller applet, allowing users to configure security and embedded tagoptions.

Even with its plethora of templates, PageMaker 7.0 isn't by any means anentry-level application. Nonprofessional users who have never used a high-caliberdesktop publishing program should probably consider a simpler package such asMicrosoft Publisher. While hardened, professional magazine designers tend toprefer QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker 7.0 is nonetheless a complex and powerfultool that packs a serious learning curve.

PageMaker 7.0 is perfect for small businesses that can't afford to hire outdesigners for promotional materials, or for companies that have the need tocreate professional-looking PDF files. Owners of PageMaker 6.5 might not feelcompelled to upgrade, but companies and creative folks newly in the market for amuscular desktop publishing tool will be well served by PageMaker 7.0. --JoelDurham Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Class Act for Mac Computer Users
PageMaker marries your text, graphics and images into one PageMaker file from your computer desktop. Also, you can send the file to a service provider. Commercial service providers can turn your PageMaker files into high quality newsletters and magazines.

Thumbnail Designs to Comps

You need pencil and paper to create your thumbnail designs. The tradition still works for creating your design for layout pages in PageMaker. Follow this with the "Comp" (Comprehensive Sketch) for the number of pages, number of columns, picture placement, type specs and add color for affect.

The Comp is the first proof the client approves. Comps could include tables, sidebars, footnotes and various headlines. Next, have your client approve or suggest alterations for your work.

PageMaker Basic to Advanced Construction

You have the required tools and utilities built into PageMaker for creating basic layouts. With PageMaker you can automate repetitive tasks and combine manual operations into a few short steps. These are just some of the ways for speeding up your production time with PageMaker.

Avoid Costly Mistakes

Advantages of digital files allow you to change the text fonts, images, and colors before finally sending your publication to your service provider. Create several documents from your Master document. Use your PageMaker magazine advertisement on your website. You can also use your PageMaker file for your company sales kit and trade show posters and banners.

PageMaker Work Environment

Start with: Title Bar, Menu Bar, Tool Palette (Tool Box) and Control Palette. Add Page Navigation icons and finish with Story Editor.

The PageMaker mighty nine menus: Start with File, Edit, Layout, Type, Element and Utilities. Add View, Window and Help for direction.

PageMaker 7 and PDF files

PageMaker supports the import of Acrobat 5's PDF format files. Also, PageMaker 7 can now produce PDF files throughout the new Distiller 5. This is significant as PDF has establishes itself as one of the preferred medium for commercial print.

Quick Look at PageMaker 7 Improvements and Bundled Goodies

• Graphic placement is improved.
• Drag-and-drop placement works well.
• QuarkXPress 4.0 documents can be converted to PageMaker format.

Bundled goodies worth having: PageMaker 7.0 includes 57 font families with 207 Adobe typefaces, a huge collection of design templates, and a large library of Adobe Illustrator clip art and stock photo images.

Pro Reaction

PageMaker 7.0 has hundreds of A4 and U.S. letter templates for newsletters, brochures, flyers and advertisements.

PageMaker 7 now supports files in Photoshop's native PSD and Adobe Illustrator 9's AI format. In addition, PageMaker 7.0 comes with its own 401 page User Guide.

PageMaker's unique features are its ability to wrap text completely around objects. Another unique feature to PageMaker is its preflight capabilities to help users deliver error-free documents to printers and service bureaus.

Con Reaction

PageMaker 7 works with Mac OS 9 Classic and not directly in Mac OS X. You can still access it throughout OS X platform.

Missing is the Adobe Press book on how to use the Adobe PageMaker 7.0 templates similiar to Adobe PageMaker Plus 6.5 Productivity Kit. Also, there is no command to automatically open the placed PSD back into Photoshop.

For Beginners Only
I learned graphic design and layout on PageMaker, and wished Adobe would take the product seriously. Instead, PageMaker seems to be falling into the ranks of Microsoft Publisher as a program people use believing it'll do the job right.

While many service bureaus still offer PageMaker services, it is by far better to go with Quark. It can do more, has more flexibility with printers and publishing houses, and will cause fewer problems regarding bugs and crashes.

The plus side is the templates. Beginners will depend on these, and templates simply aren't found in Quark. They will reduce the learning curve a little, though be aware, as a result, you templated documents will suffer from a canned, over-done look. Just the same, your work will be clean and well-structured.

If you intend to be a serious designer, stay away. None of the people you want to work for use this. This is for amateurs only.

If you have PageMaker, don't upgrade. 6.5 is plenty: the new stuff isn't worth the money. Do a little homework on Quark, and figure out how to convert your files with the newest version. It the short run, you'll spend a few more bucks, but in the long-run, you'll save time and frustration.

I cautiously recommend PageMaker 7.0, but only as a tool for users intending to publish newsletters from their desktops.

Anthony Trendl ... Read more

Asin: B00005M63K
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics (Graphic)    3. Multimedia    4. Professional Design    5. desktop publishing    6. desk top publishing    7. Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple   

Microsoft Office XP Standard
by Microsoft
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (31 May, 2001)
list price: $399.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Microsoft Office XP's empowering document design tools, integration of voice recognition functionality, and impressive network- and Web-based sourcing capabilities should be enough to convince those interested in saving time and consolidating effort to take the leap.

In keeping with Microsoft's much-ballyhooed .NET strategy, Office XP introduces several features that utilize the vast infosphere inhabited by the 21st-century desk jockey. Smart tags beckon underneath recognized objects like misspellings or symbols, offering a stock quote here, a synonym there, or "Would anyone care to configure my auto-correction list?" The task pane looks similar to Microsoft Internet Explorer's Explorer Bar, and acts like an open tool chest pulled up alongside each application in the suite, providing readily configured searches for information or multimedia files. Putting up a team Web site that tracks projects and serves as an information hub requires only the use of one of the included templates, ready to be customized and uploaded to the server.

The Send for Review feature further streamlines the collaborative process by allowing the sender to view revisions made by multiple parties within the framework of the original document. Outlook now features a color-coded calendar and easier meeting management, along with instant messaging and variable e-mail account access. All user system errors can be tracked globally, and then network security settings modified remotely while anti-virus and debugging IT resources are diverted accordingly.

After firing up Microsoft Word, typing "Dear Somebody," and hitting the Enter key, we made a startling discovery. Up popped Clippy, Microsoft's publicly pink-slipped office assistant. Clippy might have aptly announced, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," but instead predictably observed, "It looks like you're writing a letter." Once the groans of disbelief had subsided, we quickly right-clicked and banished Clippy to the silicon ether, presumably forever. --Dominic Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (109)

what it is
Office XP itself was a fine upgrade - endlessly configurable (you don't like the clip? Kill the clip! Hate spell-on-the-fly? Turn it off), well-suited to file- and data-sharing, more stable, quicker internet data connections, still more refinements and improvements (like programmable smart tags) to Excel and Word, a much-improved set of add-ons in Project, Publisher, and Visio. And the upgrade process was easy. If you had trouble you either had some horribly complex project to switch or you waded in without paying attention to instructions. It was a very smooth transition.

The Developer version added (still adds, since you can buy it now) added developer editions of SQL Server and Exchange, plus Source Safe, Code Librarian, and various other useful and sometimes well-buried stuff. I'm not sure why Office Developer isn't just folded into a slightly downpriced MSDN Professional, but then Microsoft still hasn't matured on the level of licensing and packaging. The Office suite is, however, a mature product that has been improving enormously since the 2000 release. If only Redmond would lose their fascination with Byzantine licensing and Rubik's Cube bundling (cool! We can sell it this way, and THIS way, and THAT way, and for these people we can probably get them to pay for THIS THAT way ...), people might stop complaining and realize the products are much-improved.

2003 continues the march onward in quality. If you're considering XP Developer, you're likely better off looking at an MSDN package to get the same tools.

Office
Well, actually I like Excel and hate Word. The other programs included I have little or no use for.
I use Excel all the time for engineering calculations, including writing VBA macros to automate things that I can't do easily in the cells. It's very useful, like having a calculator that remembers everything you've done, writes it down, but allows you to change inputs and recalculate everything automatically. Unfortunately, there is a bug in the help files, so I can't get Visual Basic help anymore. The IT guys at work fixed the regular help but never could get the macro help to work again. Very annoying.
Word is terrible compared to WordPerfect. What I used to be able to do with a couple of keystrokes, now takes minutes of navigation thru menus and dialog boxes. Outline formatting, numbered lists, etc. are especially frustrating in Word because nothing is obvious. You shouldn't have to get a college degree in word processing in order to learn to write a specification and get the formatting correct. One annoyance is that paragraph formatting is hidden in a selectable little space at the end of the paragraph, so if you try to delete the last few words by hitting shift-end and delete, you will delete numbering, formatting, etc. of that paragraph. Also, the thesaurus that came with WordPerfect was much better.
In general, Microsoft Office tries to be everything for every possible user, automates many tasks to do things that it thinks I want to do even though I don't, and makes it hard to figure out how to undo them.
I am using WordPerfect wherever possible and trying StarOffice.

Real problems with this one..
Installed the upgrade over Office 2000 on a well equipped XP Professional system. Liked it well enough but after an online update, File->Open began taking 20-30 sec per level to navigate to the file. Unfortunately, installing this package seems to put the 'better' file menus in and everything came to a crashing halt. Worse news is that it wouldn't uninstall nor reinstall/fix (something got corrupted). A Msoft A+ beat on it a long time then finally reinstalled XP (unfortunately an all too common occurance, for lots of reasons) and all was well until I installed Office XP again. The problem recurred but this time, a system restore cleaned it up. Still using Office 2000. Now using Office XP as a gold coaster. I've heard of this happening on other systems.. something in the networking maybe.. We're using a Linux server w/Samba drive. Works great with everything else.. ... Read more

Asin: B00005AFHZ
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Office Suite (Suites)    3. Bundle (Bundles)   

Zone Alarm Pro 4
by Broderbund
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (11 August, 2003)
list price: $39.99 -- our price: $39.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (40)

As good as ever
Various versions of Zone Alarm have been protecting my desktop for a couple of years now, and I see no reason to change my choice of firewall software in the foreseeable future.

As a frequenter of Internet security websites (such as the excellent www.grc.com), I was first introduced to the powerful, yet simple firewall known for its ease of configuration, and rock solid protection. I am not an employee of Zone Labs, nor do I receive any compensation for my endorsement. I am simply a satisfied customer who truly believes in the product.

Zone alarm was the first firewall software on the market to offer true "internet stealth." or a close as one can reasonably hope to achieve in cyberspace. Nothing short of disconnecting your pc from the net offers total protection, but Zone Alarm offers your best defense.

Firewalls in general have been notorious for they're hard to configure nature. Most novice users find that the software seems to do its job too well, blocking things that they may wish to use. For most of these users, choosing the "medium" security setting seems to offer the best balance of security vs. freedom. I've always kept mine on the highest settings without incident, but other reviewers here have voiced concerns that doing so hindered such things as online games.

For the most part, Zone Alarm is easy to use, but like any other software, a little investigation on your part will go a long way. The tutorial is great for walking first timers through the paces, and I still take the time to look it over with each new release of the product.

In addition to offering protection from break-ins, Zone Alarm has a couple other nice features such as built in ad blocking, and email file attachment protection for added piece of mind.

In all, the product is excellent in all respects, and does what it is supposed to do... protect your computer. I give it the game boi's highest recommendation.

"alankelly_the_game_boi"

A Very Good, Low-Cost Firewall
I've been running ZoneAlarmPro 4 for about four months, now. It has worked very well for me, and is highly configurable. I believe this is a great choice for people who want a simple and reliable firewall solution, but don't want to spend a lot of time figuring out how to get that done.

ZoneAlarm is largely self-configuring, and offers many, many options, ranging from how many notices you want to see, to how tightly you want to lock down your desktop. I think this will be attractive to a lot of prospective buyers.

Zone Alarm correctly figured out how to configure itself around my simple home network, which is something that BlackIce (my previous firewall) couldn't do. BlackIce was a decent firewall, with great information, but ZoneAlarm is a lot less prone to cause problems. And, while BlackIce offered better tech support, I haven't needed any with Zone Alarm. The only real problem I've had is that regardless of the security setting I choose, some web sites spit back pages telling me to allow cookies; shutting down the firewall is the only way that I can seem to get around that problem.

To summarize, I'd recommend Zone Alarm Pro equally for users looking for an easy solution, as well as those needing a robust one. The configuration options it provides should allow almost anyone to set it up to work for their situation. As a bonus, it seems to have some success controlling popup ads, as well. Overall, a very good product at an attractive price.

XP Users Beware!
I do not recommend either the download from web version or this boxed version.

Zone Alarm caused Windows XP Professional system errors (that caused my computer to memory dump and shutdown). The firewall and virus did not detect late June 2004 virus, which corrupted my computer. After extensive research on tech blog boards, I found that the software was the cause of my system failures / errors.

While not the only effective firewall and virus package out there, I personally found Norton easier to use and effective. I recommend free download of Stinger tool (do a web search on Google). I also do not recommend MacFee which the Sasser C & F virus did not detect - even with daily updates.

When all else fails, have the information nearby on how to reload your operating system (Dell has it on their site). In addition, keep latest worm removal tools on a memory stick or CDROM just in case your firewall does not catch the latest bug.

My first two virus invasions, I was able to use removal tools available free on the web. The last one (late June) I could only remove the invader by reformatting my memory stick and reinstalling my operating system.

If your system begins dragging, there is a good possibility that is has a virus! Be prepared. ... Read more

Asin: B00009APND
Sales Rank: 1872
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Internet security filter filtering   

Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard Edition
by Adobe
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (27 May, 2003)
list price: $299.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard software lets business professionals quickly and easily convert any Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, or other paper or electronic document to a reliable Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file. Adobe PDF files preserve the visual integrity of documents so that they can be e-mailed to colleagues and then viewed and printed on a variety of platforms using free Adobe Reader software.

Acrobat 6.0 Standard software’s intuitive review tools allow business professionals to comment on documents electronically and make it easy to track, manage, and incorporate feedback into original documents. Acrobat’s full set of features help you streamline communications and reduce the costs and inefficiencies associated with paper-based review processes.

Password protection lets you secure files to prevent unauthorized users from opening and viewing sensitive documents. Apply permissions with 128-bit encryption that control whether users are allowed to view, edit, comment on, sign, or print Adobe PDF files.And with digital signature support you can approve final documents, verify authenticity, and build a list of trusted certificates. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Upgrade is no help for Real Estate
As a Realtor who is pushing the envelope, attempting to move to digital file keeping, digital recording, digital faxing, and digital signing, the concept of Adobe Acrobat is extremely helpful. I've been using Adobe Acrobat since version 4. Version 5 was a very useful upgrade, worth every cent. Version 6 was a grand waste of money and has turned into a waste of time. Files take longer to save in Adobe Acrobat 6, but they do end up being smaller, so maybe there is a more advanced compression algorithm at work. Nevertheless, files do take about twice as long to save in the new version.
Furthermore, at least for my line of work, I see no useful additions to the software. The interface looks a little fancier, and a little more advanced with more curved lines and a splash screen with transparency...(everybody together now, "Oooooh, aaaaaaah"). But, at least for my line of work, I have not seen any productivity or security upgrades which make the investment worthwhile. Save yourself the money and stay with version 5.0.
Unfortunately, it seems that the other reviewers' negative comments are right on the money.

Great Software
This software Create PDF files from almost any word processing or html programs with very effective compression ratio almost 1/10 the original size. You can also convert post script ps files into PDF files. You can extract pictures, text from any already created PDF files as well.
With this version you can also create an interactive electronic forms similar to the tax forms. This upgrade version will only install on your system if you have Adobe acrobat 4 or 5 installed. This version only works with windows XP, 2000, NT with latest service package.
The difference between the acrobat 6.0 and the acrobat 5.0 is not so big. The new version is optimized for intel P4 systems and it's slightly faster than the old version.

Waste of time and money.
I bought the 6.0 upgrade without reading the reviews. Woe to the foolish. It slowed WORD to a crawl, brought DtSearch to it's knees, and twice locked my system up so tightly I couldn't get the task manager open.

I didn't waste any additional time seeing how slow it was at its own tasks. I'll take everyone's word for it.

Less than one day on the machine. I've gone back to 5.0. ... Read more

Asin: B00008ZGRY
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics (Graphic)    3. Multimedia    4. Professional Design    5. desktop publishing    6. desk top publishing    7. Document Management    8. Internet electronic publishing    9. Home Publishing    10. Printing    11. Publishing   

Adobe Photoshop 7.0 [Replaced by Photoshop CS]
by Adobe
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (20 April, 2002)
list price: $609.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Mixed-media professionals such as photographers, Web designers, andgraphic designers will not be disappointed in Adobe's latest incarnation ofPhotoshop. In this release, Adobe aims hard at addressing the issues of filemanagement, easy photo retouching, and smarter output for the Web. While Adobemanages to successfully address these issues, it also remains true to its photoediting roots. New and improved features and tools such as a painting option andan enhanced brush palette allow Photoshop to build on its reputation as theleading tool for image manipulators. New-school designers of wirelessapplications will smile when they discover that Photoshop 7.0 offers support forWBMP-formatted graphics.

Photoshop 7.0's new file management system comes in the form of a WindowsExplorer-like file browser that allows users to easily sort and locate theirimages within various projects. Users can now organize projects by name, date,resolution, and a number of additional parameters.

The enhanced brush palette allows users to create custom brushes and save themas presets that can be accessed from the Tools options bar. Users can easilyvary different aspects of the brush by changing the hue, opacity, or flow of thebrushes for pastels, oils, and charcoal. Photoshop 7.0 also introduces a newHealing Brush and Patch Tool. With these tools, users can easily "heal" theirimages by removing scratches, blemishes, and other imperfections whilepreserving shading, lighting, and texture attributes.

Adobe has taken great strides in revamping Photoshop 7.0 to be more Web-readythan ever before. With the help of its companion software Image Ready, users cannow easily create rollovers and complex navigation bars by using the newRollovers palette. Additional Web-ready features include enhanced Web exportfunctions that allow designers to preview images designed for PDAs and mobilephones in the WBMP format. Users can easily create a slide show of their imagesand post online using the new Web Gallery. People concerned about posting theirimages online can secure their images with the new password protection featurebefore sharing them.

Adobe has finally introduced a long overdue spell checker with wickedmultilingual spell-checking capabilities. A new search and replace featureallows users to search and replace across different layers in the same document.

While Photoshop 7.0 introduces an impressive array of features that allowphotographers, Web designers, and graphic designers to work more effectivelywith Web and wireless devices, it also remains the leading tool for anyoneserious about digital imaging. No other software package provides users with theability to create such high-quality images. --Rich Ting ... Read more

Reviews (42)

a wonderful creative software
Adobe Photoshop 7 is the most creative software i have ever seen. It is soooooo easy to use ... and u will have fun working with it ... I have desiged a hole web template using the photoshop and the Imageready software that comes with it .... after finshing the design on the photoshop i switched to the imageready to animate the buttons i used in my website (using the rollovers) ... after that i exported the file to html format.
I also use the photoshop 7 to make wallpapers by mixing several photos, adding some filters and effects on them, some text and my signiture ..... i really have fun working on the photoshop especially the last version (7) i mean ... because of it's great file browser and it's new brush designs , not just that but much more ... in this version u can adjust the size of the brush that u make (that thing wasn't posible in the older versions).

IT IS REALLY AMAZING

Steep learning curve, but it's simply the best.
The only remotely negative thing I can say about Photoshop 7 is, that if you're totally new to Photoshop, completely learning to use all of its myriad features effectively will be a very daunting task (to say the least). But, that could also be construed as a good thing about Photoshop. It's loaded with a plethora of very useful, very advanced features that other competitive products can't even touch.

However, once you get a basic understanding of Photoshop's layers and basic tools, you can immediately get to work creatively modifying and enhancing your digital photos and doing graphic design. If you ARE new to Photoshop, I do recommend purchasing 3rd party training materials to gain an understanding of the features Photoshop has to offer.

Chances are, if you're considering forking out the considerable cost for this product, than you probably have at least intermediate experience with Photoshop already. The new features of Photoshop 7 are extremely useful. There are new tools for photo enhancements (such as the unbelievable healing brush) as well as illustrating tools that finally turn Photoshop (in my opinion) to a one-stop graphic design studio.

This comes with a fantastic training CD that takes you through the new features. It covers the new customizable paint brushes (which will blow your mind), the (soon-to-be my favorite tool) healing brush, the new file browser and all sorts of other things. This CD was so good, in fact, that I'm considering buying the whole training series for Photoshop.

There is a reason Adobe Photoshop is the omnipresent software installed on every serious graphic designer's computer. It's simply the best, and everything else is a cheap knockoff. True, some cheaper packages do a reasonable job of imitating some of Photoshop's features-but none of them do as good of a job. Photoshop 7 just brings even more revolutionary, well-implemented features to the table, and puts more distance between itself and the wannabes. The bottom line is that if you're looking for the best photo editing software coupled with incredible graphic design tools, you've found it.

The best Picture editor
This program can do so much...

weather it is making the color look nicer in pictures, Adjusting the light, adding things, or even making scenery textures for computer games! It is also great for making web pages... just draw out what you want your web page to look like, and seperate the links and Voila! I highly recomend Photographers (like me), Game editors (like me), web designers (like me), or other jobs that you are tired of using MS paint for or that ms paint cant do. What ever your need Adobe Photo Shop is a great program. ... Read more

Asin: B000063EMG
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics    3. Multimedia    4. Edit (Editing)   

Microsoft Encarta Standard 2003
by Microsoft
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (04 July, 2002)
list price: $24.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Microsoft's Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2003 provides a wealthof current information for the entire family. This easy-to-use reference canaccess more than 38,000 up-to-date articles, photos, and illustrations, andhundreds of videos, animations, and audio clips. Encarta EncyclopediaStandard 2003 is the ideal multimedia encyclopedia for everyday use.

Using your active Internet connection, Encarta adds up-to-the-minutearticles and news as it happens while automatically revising existing contentwith its Update Encarta feature. As a result, you're always working withreliable and relevant reference material. Whether doing research or looking forgeneral information, Encarta makes searches easy, plus it adds thousandsof Web links, so you can take your research beyond the encyclopedia. Everyone inthe family will enjoy interacting with the full range of multimedia options,including images, videos, animations, and audio, that make learning moreenjoyable than ever before. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very good content, very good software, very good product.
I've bought both ENCARTA and BRITANNICA for years. This is my opinion:
TEXT: The Britannica is a superb encyclopaedia in text since 1768. If only its electronic version were worthy of it! Text in the electronic version is different from Printed Encyclopaedia (large articles have been shortened). Britannica claims that it has more articles than Encarta, but this is a joke: articles like "Spain" are only one with a lot of subdivisions in Encarta, while in Britannica subdivisions are considered articles, and you must "jump" from one subdivision to other.
In some areas Encarta is better than Britannica. For example consider "controversial events in modern history" such us "My Lai Massacre": In Encarta one large article and a lot of mentions in others; Britannica does not even know the name.
In theory, you can update Britannica over the Internet free for a year quarterly (4 times), but this does not work. Encarta is updated free EVERY WEEK) with new articles and additions to the old ones. The new articles and additions are included in the next version of Encarta, but this is not true for Britannica. For instance: "Bilbao, Spain": Britannica does not mention the Guggenheim Museum, which opened in 1997, and the population is !!estimated!! of 1982. The same article in Encarta: similar text, 3 photos, 1 map, related articles, sidebar, dynamic timelines and 4 internet pages, plus one specific article "Bilbao Guggenheim Museum". I think Britannica updates its contents very slow, whereas Encarta is completely alive.
MULTIMEDIA: They say that "serious" or "adult" readers do not care about "pictures"; that multimedia is only for kids. I do not agree, because I think that, sometimes, "A picture is worth a thousand words". Works of art, anatomy, maps, diagrams ... Encarta devastates Britannica with a lot of photos, paintings, drawings, maps, animations, interactivities, videos, music and sounds, pictures, literature sidebars, new translation dictionaries (not very good though), atlas, 2-D and 3-D virtual tours, timeline, games ... It's not only the quantity and quality. It is the easy access you have to all the multimedia, and that text and multimedia are fully integrated. Britannica's Atlas is a joke and statistics do not exist or I have not found them. Encarta's has a great detail: 1 cm/ 4 km all over the world (though you find some mistakes) and hundreds of statistical maps.
INTERFACE AND SOFTWARE: This is the worst side of Britannica. In Encarta you only have to type a phrase, a word or the beginning of a word to see all the articles and multimedia that contain it. If you have typed the name of a small village, you see it in the Atlas without clicking again. If Encarta does not find anything, it gives you alternative spellings and you find what you were looking for. To go "jumping" from article to article is very easy and quick, because you have a lot of links and the "Related Articles" section. If you need to copy text or pictures, the integration with Microsoft WORD is perfect. If you don't understand a word, you can double-click it and the dictionary appears in a window.
Navigating with Britannica is different. You get crazy. I will only give an example: if you do not know the exact and correct spelling of a name or word, it does not help you with alternative or similar spellings. The dictionary does not permit double-clicking of words in the text of articles for their definitions. Once an article is displayed you cannot search for a word within the article. This is extremely annoying: you have to perform this task yourself. One "pro" for Britannica: they say it works with Macintosh computers.
This is my piece of advice: If you can afford it, buy both. If not... read again this review.

Encarta Standard 2003
This software stopped my Encarta Reference Suite 2001 from working and it automatically installs Internet Explorer ver. 6 which made it impossible for me to download images on AOL. I would prefer software that doesn't affect other software that is already installed on the computer.

Microsoft Encarta - some pluses and one big minus
If you are a serious user of reference books and you intend to buy multimedia encyclopedia because of its text content and not multimedia features such as videos and animations, you might be interested in this brief comparison between Microsoft Encarta and Encyclopaedia Britannica (in both cases I've been trying 2002 Standard Edition).

Some of the Encarta's pluses
Characters display
Encarta displays practically all foreign characters correct (e.g. Slovenian and Czech c with a circumflex, other Central European characters, Portuguese a and Spanish n with a tilde, French e with a grave accent, etc.) while Britannica doesn't. Two concrete examples: in Britannica a Croatian writer Senoa (S with a circumflex) is listed in the very beginning of the A-Z list, and a great Slovenian poet Preseren (again s with a circumflex) is almost imposible to find though he's listed in the Britannica A-Z. A fact that Encarta doesn't list those two men of letters at all is another story (see One big Encarta's minus at the end of this review).

Interface
Encarta has much more user friendly interface than newer versions of Britannica. In Britannica it's obviously designed for the extinct 14" monitors. Find tool in Britannica has its own window. Therefore you have to make more clicks to choose an article and read it than in the case of Encarta. Thousands of additional clicks mean a lot of extra time.

Multimedia content
It's also a (big) plus for Encarta, but for an adult user of encyclopedias multimedia isn't the most important feature.

One big Encarta's minus
Articles
Articles in Encarta are usually shorter and less precise than articles in Britannica, not to mention the overall number of articles (Britannica beats Encarta, especially its Standard Edition) And finally: there are more mistakes in Encarta than in Britannica.
One of the big blunders (in both encyclopedias!) is a false information that Slovenia, a Central European and Alpine country, lies on the Balkans, though the northern border of this peninsula is (in Encarta) correctly described as a line Upper Sava River - Rijeka. Slovenia lies north of the Croatian seaport Rijeka and doesn't belong to the Balkans neither geographically or politically!

My advice
Probably the best decision is to buy both Encarta and Britannica (of course not necessarily the same year; in my opinion Britannica is the one who should wait until its interface is improved - or even reversed to its '98 version). It may be very useful to have two different sources of information - not only for researchers and students.
If you don't mind about multimedia features and if you'll use multimedia encyclopedia as an authoritative source of facts and information only, you'll probably prefer Britannica. But keep in mind that even in Britannica there are some small and big mistakes (and that its interface and character display aren't as user friendly as in Encarta).

PS
I actually gave Encarta 3-4 stars for its interface and 1-2 stars for its contents. ... Read more

Asin: B000067G65
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Reference    3. Encyclopedia (Encyclopedias)    4. Dictionary (Dictionaries)   

Pharaoh
by Sierra
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

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Editorial Review

If building and managing cities is your passion, then Pharaoh is the game for you. It puts you in charge of building the ancient Egyptian civilization, complete with work camps, temples to Bast, and, of course, pyramids.

Unlike some games of this type, where you build one city indefinitely and watch the population climb, Pharaoh is divided into missions. Players are given a goal--a desired population, food storage targets, and cultural achievements. Play continues until the target is met, unless the city succumbs to plagues, debt, or outside invaders first.

Pharaoh is loads of fun. The mission goals are tough but attainable, and city building for a finite time span will appeal to players who find unending development a bore. The usual juggling of civic needs for water, food, entertainment, and jobs is well balanced. The range of industries, religious practices, and municipal services is engaging, and the graphics are clear enough that it is easy to tell what's going on in the city. The mission-by-mission format allows the game to present a few challenges at a time, providing novelties for new levels of play.

Take charge of the Nile Valley and become a legend! --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (90)

One of the best I've seen!
This game is in every way as good and if not better than Caesar III. I own both games and I have to say they are two of the most addicting games I've played. They are so much alike and Pharaoh, though not a sequel or an add-on, adds more to the alreay masterful Caesar III.

There are many different perks in Pharaoh that make it very unique and fun. There are gods to worship, more industrial structures, more military units, combat on land and sea, you must make sure your citizens are happy, healthy, and fed enough, provide them with entertainment, law enforcement, and the best of them all, the construction of monuments. This game has pretty much all you could want and it is very easy to learn. The built in campaign teaches you how to play as you progress into the game. You can even interact with your citizens and see what they think of your wonderful city. But you better keep them happy because if you don't, they could revolt and turn your wonderful riches into worthless rubble!

If you haven't been able to grasp the concept of city building games or have never been very good, I suggest you try this one out! I'm sure you won't be sorry! I was never any good either, and look where I ended up, I can't put in down!

Rule the Sands
Become the next ruler of Egypt with the city-building strategy game "Pharaoh". If you enjoyed such games like "Ceasar", "Civilization" or "SimCity" then Sierra's "Pharaoh" would be down your alley. Manage small Egyptian settlements into thriving populated cities. Provide your citizens with a wide range of civic needs including water, food, entertainment and access to religious facilities. Earn the approval of the gods by building lavish temples and organize festivals in their names or face their divine wrath. You must also protect your people with a strong military force and provide aid to the kingdom when needed. Manage your cities' resources and workforce wisely to ensure the prosperity of the empire and your legacy.

"Pharaoh" is an all-around better strategy game than "Ceasar" and "Simcity". It offers the same engaging gameplay with interesting new features and in-depth control of city services and facilities. Players become more involved in the management of the city and should place some elements like satisfying the gods and distribution of workers as top priority. The gameplay is simple and often quite addicting. If you're more interested open-ended simulation, there is always the "Sandbox Mode" that allows the player to let his imagination go wild without the boundaries of scenario objectives. The game's landscapes and building details are very appealing. Overall, with its easy-to-learn gameplay and hands-on management style, "Pharaoh" earns an "A-".

Better than sim city
This game is a bit like sim city, where you build and controll a city as the mayor, or god, because you can cause fires and tornados and stuff, but its better because you have an objective. Its cool because it's based on real facts about Eqypt, and I like it especially so because I've been to eqypt and seen the real pyramids at Giza, and gone a cruise down the Nile. ... Read more

Asin: B00002CF9G
Subjects:  1. Pharoah (Pharoh, Pharo)    2. Computer Games    3. Strategy (Strategic)    4. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    5. Military (Wargames    6. Havas   

Great Empires Collection
by Sierra
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (18 December, 2000)

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Reviews (18)

Very good
The great Empires Collection is over-all a good buy. I would have rated this game four & 1/2 stars, but this was not an option.

The Games are a good mix, but all three games are basically the same.

Caesar III is difficult to an extent, and may get boring. The combat system is good, but it is hard to keep your houses from de-moting.

It takes a week or so, but Caesar III is easily to pick up.

Pharaoh is the same with the exemption of flood plains, roadblocks, and archers, chariots, and inpenterey instead of leagens, spearman, and mounted spearman; also you could build things like pyramids.

Cleopatra is the same as Pharaoh, but there are zoos, some new industries and pyramids building speed-up.

S.S.M.

These are the best challenging scenario games - They rock!!
I bought the Empire Collection just about a week ago now, and so far I have only played CaesarIII, but let me tell you, this game is exactly what one wants in a game: Great graphics, challenging scenarios, smooth running with your computer. CaesarIII is very addictive, as I realised one day when I woke up and spent from 9:30am till 4:00pm playing it. I was not even conscience of the time but even after all that time I still hadn't got bored. Personally, one thing I like is that it doesn't cause your computer to "stick up" even after playing it for hours on end. The graphics and sounds are like real life and it is really amazing how a game with such good graphics and sounds doesn't cause your computer to freeze after extended play. The only "con" I see in this game is that it is very time consuming and in many scenarios Caesar's demands seem impossible to met. You either have runned out of space or don't have enough money.
However, if you think you're a pro when it comes to strategy games, then I highly recommend you to buy "The Empires Collection".

The best ever!
I have quite a few modern games (Empire Earth, Age of Mithology, Rise of Nations, you name it!) but the aging Caesar3 is still my favorite, it is relaxing, fun, enjoyable. It is true you won't find zoom capabilities or fancy graphics or complicate interface, it is just the best! By the way, Sierra, where is Caesar4? ... Read more

Asin: B000056OYO
Sales Rank: 5200
Subjects:  1. Pharaoh (Pharoah Pharo Pharoh)    2. Cleopatra official expansion    3. Caesar III (3 three) ceasar    4. Computer Games    5. Collections (Collections)    6. Bundle (Bundles)    7. Strategy (Strategic)    8. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    9. Military (Wargames    10. Havas   

Flip Album
by eBook Systems
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

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Editorial Review

FlipAlbum lets you organize and edit a unique 3-D page-flipping album and view it on your desktop. Import photos, images, and graphics from a scanner, digital camera, and the Internet. Select a theme from a wide array of templates. Use powerful, easy-to-use editing tools like photo cropping, rotation, and color manipulation. Skew photos, add gray-scale filters, and implement other effects. After you build your digital album, click on the pages to turn them with cool page-flipping action. Automate slide shows and auto flip functions for hands-free picture viewing. FlipAlbum supports most of the popular graphic formats, such as BMP, JPEG, PCX, GIF, TIF, AVI, WAV, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Flip Album :(
The company produces a "pro" version, they sell it for more than it's worth, and then they compete with you by plastering their name and links to their website all over the finished Flip Album. So, you produce and try to sell, or even give away a burned copy of your hard work, and they make you look foolish.
Their business ethics are questionable.

FLIP ALBUM 3.1 - Interesting Product - BUT
This product allows you to quickly create a photo album of digital images and photos.

An interesting feature is that the viewing of the album is done with an animated page flipping (with sound effects) of going from photo to photo.

There are two disappointments however.

First, there is no ability to manually sort or drag and drop your photos in the sequence you desire. To create the sequence, the program allows you to sort your photos alphabetically. However, this requires a tedious renaming of each of your photo files to make it work.

Secondly, it is nice to put an overall background music selection to the entire album viewing (e.g. Pachelbel's Kanon for a wedding album). However you can not time the album viewing to tie to the ending of the music resulting in a very amaturish music cut off.

You must also buy Flip Album's CD Maker if you wish to create self executable CD's so that you can distribute your album to friends and family. (Note: You can distribute using the WEB but you will have to leave off the sound to keep the file size managable).... ... Read more

Asin: B00004WZQ7
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics    3. Multimedia    4. Edit (Editing)    5. Presentation (Presentational)